A27 Proposals – position statement from the Society

The Chairman of the Society, Richard Childs, Society issued apress releaseon 19 January which reads as follows.

‘The Chichester Society has looked at the maps recently published by the Observer showing possible upgrades for the A27. Richard Childs, the Chairman, said “The Chichester Society has a responsibility to support whatever is best for Chichester as a whole”.

We currently have a situation in which everyone agrees that something must be done. Predictably, North Chichester and Lavant have come out in favour of a southern route, and South Chichester and Selsey in favour of a northern route.

As ever the devil is in the detail. Will a northern route contain sufficient environmental safeguards to prevent the destruction of the scenic value of the South Downs? Will a southern route have the capacity to cope with the vast expansion of Chichester proposed in the Local Plan? Should temporary traffic congestion determine the choice of a route which will be in place for decades to come? While the leaked maps are useful in helping to frame such questions, lines on a map do not provide answers. For this reason the Society will hold a watching brief and comment or campaign as appropriate once the full consultation is launched.’